Residents in the Dittons area are warning their neighbours to be vigilant after a spate of burglaries and cons.

One 93-year-old woman in Long Ditton was conned into paying £450 for her gutters to be cleaned earlier this year while her carer was out, while two further attempts were made to encourage her to pay for other services months later.

She was reportedly told that although it seemed like a lot of money, the men would keep coming back for free to do more work. But after just half-an-hour’s work she was asked for more cash.

The woman’s carer, Sheena Mukasa, said she felt much safer now the house had a CCTV camera, donated by local businessman Enzo Pozella.

She said: “It makes me, as a carer, feel a lot safer that when I am not there the cameras are a deterrent for unwanted visitors.

“They know they will be recorded with clear evidence for the police to use to prosecute, as we have signs up that CCTV is being used.

“I was worrying when I was out. I couldn’t relax, especially after the second and third visits.”

Meanwhile, in a two-week period in November, the area’s Neighbourhood Watch had reports of four burglaries in Thames Ditton, with one in Westville Road, two in Greenwood Road and one in Queen’s Drive, plus an attempted break-in in Oaks Way, Long Ditton.

Police confirmed two attempted burglaries and one burglary in this period.

Sentimental jewellery stolen

Also in November were two burglaries in Summer Road, plus one each in Portsmouth Road, Ditton Hill Road and Manor Road.

It is thought that in most of the recent incidents, either side gates, back doors or windows were left unlocked or bins were left by side gates, making entry to the rear of the properties easy.

Between November 2014 and October 2015, there were 90 burglaries in the Dittons and Hinchley Wood area, according to police statistics.

Long Ditton Residents’ Association road representative, Felicity Leicester, is keen to help others avoid being targeted, especially as she has been burgled herself and lost jewellery with sentimental value.

“With the dreadful con problems my 90-plus-year-old neighbour was having, then hearing about all the burglaries in the area, I thought it was well worth the investment of a CCTV system for my house and neighbours,” she said.

"Conmen and burglars know that the quality of the pictures are so much better now, they can easily be identified.”

She urged people to take any steps, even just putting a padlock on their shed, to reduce the chances of being targeted.

The fears have also recently re-emerged as, according to the Neighbourhood Watch, doorstep thefts were rife in Hinchley Wood in the run-up to Christmas last year, with many deliveries left on doorsteps stolen.